Climate Ecology Blueprint - Saving the earth in a just way!

Welcome to the Climate -Ecology Emergency Hub!

Six out of the nine planetary boundaries have been breached. We have much to do to arrest further damage but there are solutions at hand within a finite time.

On this site you will find information on the Climate-Ecology Blueprint: a practical guide that may be adapted and applied in a diversity of scenarios to address how we may restore the climate, biodiversity and ecosystems back to health, in an equitable way.

The Blueprint is derived from and inspired by Zero Hour’s Climate and Nature Bill. Scroll down to access the Blueprint in different languages.

Feel free to browse and explore the resources and presentations, and view the virtual gallery and anthology about the dual nature of the climate-ecology crisis.

How can we avert ecological collapse and curb climate breakdown in a just way?

Atmosphere

Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, along with trace amounts including carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, and neon that constitute approximately 0.1 percent. These gases are found in atmospheric layers (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere) defined by unique features such as temperature and pressure.

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are causing atmospheric disregulation such as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) weakening and unprecedented climate heating.

Hydrosphere

We live on a blue planet, with oceans and seas covering more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface. Our ocean generates 50 per cent of the oxygen we need to survive, whilst having absorbed 90% of the warming that has occurred in recent decades due anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of ocean warming include changes in ocean biochemistry, sea level rise due to thermal expansion, coral bleaching and accelerated cryosphere melting. Only 0.5 per cent of water on Earth is useable and available freshwater – and climate change is dangerously affecting that supply. Over the past twenty years, terrestrial water storage – including soil moisture, snow and ice – has dropped at a rate of 1 cm per year, with major ramifications for water security. (WMO)’.

Cryosphere

The cryosphere constitutes all Earth’s frozen water land and seascapes, including ice caps, glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice. The cryosphere helps maintain Earth’s climate by reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space. However, due to cumulative greenhouse gas emissions, the cryosphere is melting. The exposed dark surfaces then absorb the solar radiation causing further melting. This creates a positive feedback loop, which exacerbates the impacts of climate change. As temperatures rise, ice loss accelerates and will render this environment inhospitable for many local species. Competition from flourishing invasive species will further strain vulnerable populations, posing a serious threat to future biodiversity. (Jacobson, 2023) (Ref. Lee et.al. 2022).

Pedosphere

The pedosphere is the soil mantle of the Earth and is the consequence of the interactions of parent material, climate, organisms, topography, and time. Soil organic matter is plant, animal, and microbial residues in various states of decomposition.

Soil is not only a complex ecosystem and critical in biogeochemical cycles but also host to biodiversity that includes bacteria, fungi, and archaea. Unpolluted soil purifies our water, provides us with food security, acts as a carbon sink, and prevents flooding.

Flora

Biodiversity includes the flora of mangroves which are under threat, yet this precious habitat provides valuable protection for communities at risk from sea-level rises and severe weather events caused by climate change. Research has shown that in their ability to store carbon (‘carbon sequestration’), coastal mangroves outperform most other forests. Mangroves are the only trees that thrive in salty waters and improve water quality by filtering out nutrients and sediments. They are also teeming with life: more than 1,500 plant and animal species depend on mangroves. This includes fish and birds who use the shallow waters beneath mangrove trees as nurseries. (Ref. UNEP)

Fauna

Our natural world and its fauna are undergoing a 6th mass extinction due to human activity, primarily driven by the unsustainable land use, over consumption of water and energy and climate heating.

Bumblebees are important pollinators of native plant species and agricultural crops, particularly in temperate and high-elevation regions. Their presence is associated with vegetation abundance and diversity, however, bumblebees are in rapid global decline due to habitat loss and fragmentation, pesticides, parasites, pathogen spillover, and climate change.

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(*derived and adapted from the Climate & Nature Bill; please note: the Climate- Ecology Emergency Hub is not affiliated with Zero Hour )